


Bedside Guardian

by DandelionDrabbles (AnonymousDandelion)



Series: Dialogue Prompt Fills [17]
Category: Good Omens (Radio), Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Angst, Angst dialogue prompt, Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), Caring Aziraphale (Good Omens), Emotions, Feels, Hurt Crowley, Introspection, M/M, Pre-Arrangement (Good Omens), Protective Aziraphale (Good Omens), Vignette, but more like introspectively avoiding introspection, probably - although the setting/timeline is very vague
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28116057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonymousDandelion/pseuds/DandelionDrabbles
Summary: Aziraphale does not know what happened to leave Crowley in this state, battered and barely conscious.He does not know why Crowley, delirious and all but discorporated, should have come stumbling to collapse on, of all places, his adversary’s doorstep.All Aziraphale knows is that he is here now, standing watch as Crowley rests and recovers.(Angst dialogue prompt fill #5.)
Relationships: Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Dialogue Prompt Fills [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996120
Comments: 5
Kudos: 75
Collections: Aspec-friendly Good Omens





	Bedside Guardian

**Author's Note:**

> See prompt in end notes.
> 
> A short fill, which I wrote over a week ago and forgot to post (apologies for the delay). Hope you like it, now it's here!

Aziraphale does not know what happened to leave Crowley in this state, battered and barely conscious.

He does not know whether the cause of the damage was Earthly or Hellish in nature. He does not know why Crowley, delirious and all but discorporating, should have come stumbling to collapse on, of all places, his adversary’s doorstep.

For that matter, Aziraphale does not know why he himself brought his injured adversary inside, why he tended to the demon’s wounds with all the tenderness he had to give, gently soothing Crowley’s panicked near-stupor into a real, healing sleep.

All Aziraphale knows is that he is here now, standing watch as Crowley rests and recovers in the bed that, prior to discovering the need for it today, Aziraphale did not even possess. All Aziraphale knows is the hurricane of thoughts and feelings that is his own consciousness — thoughts and feelings that he either does not recognize or does not quite dare to name.

But because Crowley is asleep, and because there is no one else present to hear, for once in five thousand years Aziraphale allows himself to give voice — in an undertone — to just a couple of those thoughts and feelings that tumble, tangle, and clamor for his attention.

“My heart tells me to kiss you,” he whispers, and feels the words of truth slip away into the silence. “My head tells me to walk away.”

(Neither heart nor head even considers telling Aziraphale to smite his sleeping enemy. This, despite the fact that both head and heart are united in knowing that his superiors would advise him to seize the opportunity to do exactly that. The possibility of smiting the serpent is one that, in practice, has not been a possibility for a long time, if ever. Both heart and head shy away from looking too closely at the reasons why.)

Aziraphale takes a breath. He looks down at the demon’s face — worn even in sleep, yet still peaceful as the angel has seldom seen it in waking.

It would be easy, so very easy, to step away. To turn, to depart, to leave Crowley to wake safe and sound and alone.

It would be easy, so very easy, to step closer. To bend, to touch, to lightly brush his lips across Crowley’s forehead.

So very easy.

Aziraphale does neither. He simply stays at the demon’s bedside: keeping watch, standing guard.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "My heart tells me to kiss you, my head tells me to walk away."
> 
> Before you ask, I'm afraid I know no more than Aziraphale about what happened to Crowley. Any ideas?
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading! Comments of any length consistently and significantly brighten my day/inspire me to keep writing, if you have thoughts you'd like to share. :)


End file.
